© 2019 Will Newton (AP Photo)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Ross Douglas is leaving the program after one season. He is expected to join Dan Lanning’s staff in the same role at the University of Oregon.
Douglas played a key role in Syracuse’s offensive resurgence under first-year head coach Fran Brown. According to ACC Sports, Syracuse was the only team in the country to have five players record at least 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards: LeQuint Allen Jr., Darrell Gill Jr., Oronde Gadsden II, Trebor Peña, and Jackson Meeks. Four of those players—Allen, Gadsden, Peña, and Meeks—also caught 60 or more passes.
Under Douglas’ leadership, the passing game flourished behind Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord, who threw for 4,779 yards—the most of any quarterback in college football. The Orange, led by first-year head coach Fran Brown, secured their first 10-win season since 2018, highlighted by a DIRECTV Holiday Bowl victory over Washington State. Syracuse capped off the year ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll.
Brown acknowledged Douglas’ departure on social media, thanking him for his contributions to the team.
“@RossDoug21 Appreciate your hard work and dedication to our players. You’re a good Coach. Most importantly an even better husband & father. Be safe fam,” Brown posted on X.
Douglas arrived at Syracuse last season after serving as the wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots. He previously worked as a defensive assistant before earning a promotion in 2022, becoming the youngest position coach in the NFL at the time. Before his NFL tenure, he coached at Richmond and spent three seasons on Rutgers’ staff, where he first worked with Brown.
Syracuse has not yet officially announced his departure or a replacement for Douglas.